Christopher Li

Christopher Li is a Professor and Graduate Advisor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Drexel University. He joined Drexel in January 2002 as an assistant professor, was promoted to associate professor in 2007, and to full professor in 2011. His research focuses on the structure-morphology-property relationships of complex soft and hybrid materials, particularly ordered polymeric systems with applications in energy storage and biomedical fields.

• Education: PhD in Polymer Science from The University of Akron (1999), BS in Polymer Chemistry from the University of Science and Technology of China (1995).

Li’s research explores crystalline, liquid crystalline, and block copolymer systems, emphasizing their use in advanced manufacturing and functional materials. His group develops innovative methods like polymer single-crystal templating, holographic polymerization, and self-assembly techniques to create nanocapsules, hybrid electrolytes, and bio-inspired nanostructures. These approaches address challenges in energy storage, such as lithium metal battery stability, and biomedical applications like mimicking bone nanostructures.

His publications highlight breakthroughs in polymer-carbon nanotube composites, ion conducting pathways, and nanomotor design. Awards include Fellowships from the American Physical Society and North American Thermal Analysis Society (NATAS), NSF-CAREER and Creativity Awards, and multiple Outstanding Research Awards from Drexel University.

• Scientific Awards:
  • Fellow of American Physical Society
  • Fellow of NATAS
  • NSF Creativity Award 2011
  • Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship 2010
  • NSF-CAREER Award 2003-2008
  • 3M Fellowship 2006
  • DuPont Young Faculty Award 2005-2007
  • PERKIN ELMER – ICTAC Young Scientist Award 2004

Li serves on the Editorial Advisory Boards of Macromolecules, ACS Macro Letters, Polymer, and Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry. He leads the Soft Materials Group at Drexel, fostering interdisciplinary collaborations with labs like the Maurice Morton Institute of Polymer Science.